In an evenly fought encounter, a point seemed like a good outcome for the Toronto Marlies in Manitoba on Friday.
The annoyance is twofold: The Marlies generated enough quality scoring chances in regulation to win, then lost the extra point in a frustrating manner in the three-on-three overtime (2-1 final).
First Period
Despite failing to generate a Grade-A scoring chance, Toronto should have escaped the opening frame without any scoreboard damage. The Marlies killed consecutive, overlapping penalties and rode their luck as Danny Zhilkin rang a shot off the iron.
Manitoba led after twenty minutes due to a horrific giveaway, as Hayes Hundley’s ill-advised pass through the slot found the tape of Walker Duehr. Artur Akhtyamov barely had time to set himself before the puck hit the twine behind him.
Second Period
The Marlies’ second line drew a penalty in the final seconds of the previous frame. Unable to capitalize on the power play, Toronto produced consecutive strong 5v5 shifts, leading to a tying goal.
Noah Chadwick and Michael Pezzetta combined to send Marc Johnstone away down the right wing. The Moose were caught flat-footed as the veteran cut across the crease and beat the netminder with a backhand finish.
Cole McWard came close to scoring on a wraparound attempt but was thwarted by a defender’s last-ditch block. Miroslav Holinka was denied from below the hash marks as Toronto carried the play for a few minutes.
The Marlies then took penalties five minutes apart, taking the wind out of their sails. Akhtyamov stood tall to rob Kevin He on the lone Grade-A chance the Moose created over the two power plays.
After surviving some sloppy shifts in the final three minutes, the Marlies came close to scoring a go-ahead goal. Drawing another penalty late in the frame, Brendan Brisson made a great move in the slot to beat one opponent but rang his shot off the post with Domenic DiVincentiis beaten.
Third Period
After wasting the carried-over power play, Toronto quickly drew another penalty. A single one-time blast from the left circle by Logan Shaw was all the Marlies generated before almost giving up a shorty.
Vinny Borgesi’s pass was easily cut out, and Duhr raced toward the Toronto net. After Duhr was slashed as he was about to shoot, the officials awarded him and Manitoba a penalty shot. Akhtyamov kept the game tied with an excellent save, and it wouldn’t be his last big save during a Marlies power play.
Landon Sim drew the next penalty, winning two battles he had no right to win, then getting hauled down while driving through the slot. On the next Marlies power play, the Moose broke loose on a 2v1, but Akhtyamov denied Zhilkin in tight.
Toronto hit the post for a second time — Bo Groulx on this occasion — as neither team’s power play could find a way to produce. In the dying seconds, Akhtyamov robbed Nikita Chibrikov to send the game to overtime.
Overtime
The Marlies failed to touch the puck in an extra frame lasting just 29 seconds, despite all three Toronto skaters being below the puck. Zhilkin blew by Shaw and Borgesi before feeding Duhr to net from the slot, with Groulx trailing his man.
